


Curry & Wine

by ConsentFest, DorthyAnn (JenniferMarie)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dating, Don't copy to another site, Head Auror Harry Potter, Important Conversations, M/M, Ministry of Magic Employee Draco Malfoy, curry and wine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-10-23 07:03:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17678732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConsentFest/pseuds/ConsentFest, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniferMarie/pseuds/DorthyAnn
Summary: Harry's promised Draco their first proper date. What could be better than homemade curry, a little wine, a much-needed talk?





	Curry & Wine

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank my sister for betaing for me.  
> And I want to thank Rose-grangerweasleyisbae for the prompt! I was so excited to see your name, you're an amazing writer and an amazing part of the community and I was so excited to write something for you!!!! I hope you like it

Harry sighed as he signed what felt like the thousandth supply form for more potions, more uniforms, more paper, more quills. It seemed like they were always running out of things he felt let they had just received, and he was always signing forms for them. Harry just hoped someone wasn’t scamming a fortune in quill stands from the auror offices because he didn’t have the time to do more than glance through them. There were other things he needed to do after all. Important things. Like other paper-work. 

He sighed again.

“-of course not! Don’t be rude!”

Harry looked up, eyes immediately finding Draco half leaning, half sitting on one of the auror’s desk outside Harry’s office. Draco’s hair swung off his shoulder and brushed across the desktop as he leaned over even further and gave the auror a wink and a smirk before he stood up.

“Come on, don’t leave now! I want to hear the rest of that story,” Auror Jameson complained, half rising from his chair as if Draco had drawn him along by an invisible string.

“Maybe some other time,” Draco said, “I have a meeting with the Head Auror. We can’t keep the famous Harry Potter waiting can we?”

Jameson groaned and slumped back down into his chair.

Before Harry had decided whether he was going to give Jameson midnight patrols in Knockturn or Hogsmeade patrols during a student weekend, Draco had stepped inside, closing the door shut behind him.

“Can’t keep the famous Harry Potter waiting?” Harry said putting his quill back in its stand.

Draco rolled his eyes, “That type will flirt all day if you let them. Merlin forbid they have enough time to get up the nerve to get handsy. In my experience, it’s better to get away as quickly as possible.”

Harry decided that Jameson would have both patrol duties. And maybe some training course refreshers as well.

“Besides, I did need to see you,” Draco said.

“About what?” Harry asked.

Draco walked around his desk, leaning back against the edge right beside where Harry’s chair, “It something you’ve been after for ages.”

Harry did not look at Draco’s bum, perfect though it was and so close it made his hands sweat, he looked up, “What? Quit taunting me you tit.”

Draco fished into the pocket of his perfectly tailored robes and pulled out a pen, an honest to god muggle ink pen, “Ta-dah.”

“Is that-” Harry said excitedly, “No more fucking quills?”

Draco set the pen on Harry’s desk, “Not for you. I finally convinced Dinkleweed to-”

“If you’re not careful you’re going to accidentally call him that to his face,” Harry warned.

Draco rolled his eyes, “That’s assuming he listens to me. Dinkleweed said I could have a trial run of these muggle pens provided I could find a department willing to test them. That’s where you come in.”

“Give me every single pen you have, I will absolutely take them all,” Harry said.

“They’re just going to replace your usual quill and ink order,” Draco said.

“Double that order.”

Draco laughed.

“I’m serious,” Harry said, “I want this to work, and if it doesn’t I need to stockpile pens while I can.”

Draco grinned, “You know as well as I do that if you want to double your supply request you have to fill out a new requisition form and Dinkleweed will probably reject it because he’s a complete and utter bastard.”

Harry sighed, “A man can dream.”

“About tonight-”

Harry froze.

“You never said where we were going.”

Harry picked up the pen, toying with it absently, “I didn’t want to decide on french or korean or what-have-you only for neither of us to be in the mood for it.”

Draco smiled, “So thoughtful.”

“We could always go to one of our favourite lunch places,” Harry suggested.

“We’ve been to those hundreds of times,” Draco pouted.

“Because it’s good.”

Draco shook his head, “It’s a date. A proper one, you promised.”

Harry nodded, an anxious thrill sending his heartbeat into high gear.

“What would be special then?” Harry asked.

“You’re always bragging about your curry,” Draco said.

Harry grimaced.

Draco put his hand down on the desk beside Harry’s letting his pinky brush Harry’s hand.

“I mean it’s not _that_ special,” Harry said.

“I can’t think of anything more special than a home cooked meal,” Draco said.

Harry fought down his nerves and nodded, “Alright, I’ll leave my floo open.”

Draco smiled, “I’ll see you at six.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Harry?” Draco’s voice called through Grimmauld Place.

Harry glanced towards the door and called back, “I’m in the kitchen!” before going back to fussing over the pot of chicken tikka masala. 

Draco’s footsteps proceeded him down the stairs, “Still cooking?”

“It’s almost done,” Harry said.

“I brought wine,” Draco said setting the bottle down on the long wooden table.

“Does wine go with curry?” Harry asked.

“It’s a pinot noir,” Draco said as if that answered everything. He leaned close to the pot Harry was hovering over, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, giving a hum of approval at the smell.

“I noticed you changed your hair again,” Harry said, “It was only at your shoulders last time I saw you.”

Draco straightened, staying close to Harry’s side, “The whole point of having long hair was to see if I liked it and being mistaken for my father half the time was not fun in the slightest.”

“Now it’s better?”

“Now I get mistaken for my mother,” Draco said, “which isn’t the worst as far as comparisons go. Which do you like best?”

“Hmm?” Harry said absently.

“Of the hairstyles I’ve tried, which do you like best?” Draco asked.

“The long hair is nice,” Harry said, “but I think I preferred the undercut.”

“The undercut, hm?”

Harry shrugged, “I like them all.”

“Even when I shaved my head?”

“Even then.”

Draco smiled and wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist, “Lair.”

Harry twitched, his spoon clanged against the side of the pot, “Sorry. You, err, startled me.”

Draco let his hands drop.

Harry glanced over at him, “What?”

“Did I get this all wrong?”

Harry’s brow furrowed, “What do you mean?”

Draco stepped back, clutching his arms to himself, “You said this was a date. I assumed- ”

Harry felt himself start to frown and forced a smile, “It’s not- It _is_ a date.”

“You think I don’t notice that you freeze up every time I touch you?” Draco said, “Like you don’t want me to. Like I’m disgusting.”

Harry shook his head.

Draco took another step back, “Maybe… I should leave.”

Harry turned off the stove, “Wait! Wait. Please. Can I just- Can we talk?” 

Draco nodded stiffly.

Harry put a stasis charm over the food and took Draco by the arm, guiding him down to sit on one of the kitchen benches. “Okay,” he took a deep breath and anxiously ran his fingers through his hair, “I did ask you out on a date. I’ve wanted to for a long time now.”

“Then why are you so-?” Draco said.

“I don’t know how to say this well,” Harry said. “You’re just so- so confident, and I’ve heard- I mean, sometimes other people you’ve dated talk about when you were together, and you’re very, um,”

“A slut,” Draco said flatly, standing up abruptly.

“No! You’re-” Harry grabbed his hand, “If anything wrong it’s me. I can’t- It takes me a long time to be comfortable enough with someone to sleep with them. Some of the people I’ve dated before left me when I wouldn’t have sex with them. And-and it’s not because I don’t want to, I just wasn't ready.”

Draco studied his face and slowly sat back on the edge of the bench.

Harry swallowed hard, “I really don’t want that to happen with you, with us. I don’t know if I can give you what you need but I- I’ll try.”

Draco took Harry’s hand and brushed his thumb over his knuckles, “You stupid, ridiculous, exasperating man.”

“Draco?”

“All I need is you.” Draco said, “Just you.”

“But you-”

Draco smiled, “I’ve waited a long time, and I’m perfectly capable of waiting forever if it means more time by your side.” he bit his lip, the tops of his cheeks flushing red.

“Are you sure?” Harry asked.

“I’m always sure about everything,” Draco said.

Harry laughed weakly.

“It’s a relief really,” Draco said looking down at Harry’s hand as he traced shapes across his skin. “You’re not the only one with relationship problems. Half the people I date think I’ll fuck them on the first date.”

“They didn’t hurt you, did they?” Harry asked.

“Of course you’d ask that,” Draco said fondly.

“They didn’t-”

“No,” Draco said, “It was scary a few times, but I’m fine. A lot of people would say I deserved it.”

“No one deserves to be scared like that,” Harry said, “No one deserves-”

“To be pushed into sex before they’re ready,” Draco said.

“...Thank you,” Harry said softly. “And I won’t flinch away from you, not if I know it’s not going to lead somewhere.”

“Not until you’re ready.” Draco squeezed his hand, “More importantly, can I kiss you?”

“Yeah,” Harry said, “I’d like that.”

Draco slid his hand along Harry’s jaw and back, cupping the nape of his neck as he leaned forward and kissed him. Harry brushed Draco’s hair back, the white-blond strand sliding through his fingers like silk.

“I should have asked you out a long time ago,” Harry murmured as he pulled away.

“It’s fine,” Draco said, “I think everything is happening just when it was meant to.”

There was a faint rumble from Harry’s gut, and he let out an embarrassed laugh, “Sorry. Being nervous makes me hungry.”

Draco rolled his eyes, fighting down a smile, “Let’s eat. You still owe me a proper date after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to write about how different people sometimes move at different speeds in a relationship and how important it is to talk about that so that no one gets hurt.  
> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it!!!


End file.
